Hello there! It's Jocelyn Mathewes from my studio in Appalachia. And one sunny afternoon I sat at my antique dining room table with my laptop. I was getting a little extra work in while dinner simmered on the stove. On a whim (and in spite of my stated social media break) I logged in to Facebook.

It didn’t take long for a hot, swollen feeling to build around my eyes as tears started to flow.

At the top of my feed was the news that one of my favorite college professors had just passed away. It wasn’t until I felt those tears that I had realized his impact on me.

Professor Don Forsythe was genuinely curious about his students, their thinking, and tailored his advice and feedback to their individual strengths and interests. He gave excellent, caring, and thoughtful critique. I enjoyed (and was challenged by) every class I took with him. He was engaging, and had a delightful sense of humor and play.

This man taught (and made his own work) for 39 years, most of it at Messiah College (now University) where I studied in the early 00’s. He impacted thousands of students who came and went over the years, many of whom went on to teach or chose directions based on his guidance and advice.

That’s an impressive stretch of time, but an even more impressive impact. And he did it while staying rooted.

I've now lived in Johnson City, Tennessee for over 12 years, a timespan that is approaching the longest I’ve ever lived somewhere.

Some stories glorify people who leave town to pursue something great and wild and big. My story (and Professor Forsythe’s story) is a little more like George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life, staying in town and watching small changes stay and people come and go.

Last Christmas when I watched that movie I truly felt George's struggle — the everyday grind of showing up and fighting against powers and forces that want to wear away at your principles or your hope.

Sentimental or simplistic, I think It's A Wonderful Life still speaks a truth that isn't recognized — or maybe it's a self-serving truth that makes my ego feel better. You see, staying rooted in one location has shaped the direction of my work profoundly. Like George, I've wrestled with the consequences of staying rooted.

Staying rooted in one location means you experience tiny loss after tiny loss when others choose to move away. Staying rooted means envy of what you see happening in other areas, envy of those who have more freedom to choose something else (like George's successful brother).

Staying rooted means continually rubbing up against limitations, forces, tendencies, assumptions that have come before you. Staying rooted means that what you've done before can be a flywheel you spin up to do great things, and baggage that weighs you down.

But staying rooted in one location has unearthed many treasures. My family thrives. I've worked with artists that have a unique connection to the landscape and cultural heritage of Appalachia. Because I've been "in it" with them, I don't experience as much outsider distrust as once before.

This community has given me opportunities that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else. I would never have dreamed of starting a gallery or inviting strangers to meet up, or that I could run an art festival. But this community did.

So many people in this region have courage, initiative, and persistence that is hard won. This corner of Appalachia is small, they're scrappy, and they took a chance on me.

That gift taught me — sometimes the collaborators we need are the people we know right now.

When you're in the thick of it, it can be hard to see what pieces of what you're doing actually make an impact. It's easy to devalue what you already have. But staying somewhere and continuing to push and invest matters.

I want to show up the way Professor Forsythe did—because his dedication, interest, and attention made me (and so many others) feel that I mattered.

Memory eternal.

xo,

jocelyn

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